Candidate KIM BARKER
Residence: Willow Springs
Website: www.d107focusforthefuture.com
Family: Robert Barker, husband, 44; Ryan Barker, 13, 7th grade at Pleasantdale M.S.; Kevin Barker, 10, 5th grade at Pleasantdale M.S.
Education: Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Millikin University
Occupation: Vice President of Marketing at Collaborative Marketing Group Inc.
Applicable experience qualifying you for the position:
I have 18 years of business experience working with Fortune 500 clients, with a background in marketing/advertising, management, finance, research, and public relations. I have served on the Parent Advisory Committee for Grading and Reporting at Pleasantdale. I have also served on the Pleasantdale Little League Board for the last two seasons to help drive the direction of the league including developing and gathering feedback from all families to implement improvements.
Lastly, I have been diligent in attending Pleasantdale School Board meetings over the last 2+ years to learn as much as possible about our district and how it functions and have attended other school district board meetings to help form a comparison.
Why are you running for this office?
The primary reason I am running for D107 School Board is to develop a clear Focus for the Future. The school board is responsible for driving the direction of the district, both through the curriculum and through financial decision-making.
D107’s strategic plan dates back to 2002; we have evolved as a district and a community over the last 11 years and it is time to build upon the foundation that was established by previous school board members. We have significant challenges ahead, such as preparing our curriculum, students and teachers for the Common Core Standards approaching in 2014-2015. In today’s society, children must be well-rounded, critical thinkers who interact well with people from various backgrounds, cultures and countries. I want to be involved in the decision-making process that will ultimately turn the students of Pleasantdale into our country’s leaders.
Last, but my no means least, D107 needs stronger financial oversight by the board; we need to tighten the reigns on spending to ensure that every expenditure will drive a clear benefit for our children.
What will be your single most important priority if you get elected?
My single most important priority when I get elected will be to develop a vision or Focus for the Future that creates a school district that is second to none, prepares our children to be successful in life and enhances the Pleasantdale community. In order to do this, we need to look at improving 3 areas in the district: accountability, responsibility and transparency. Accountability – Creating a stronger connection between the school board and the community by making the board more accessible and directly accountable to the residents of D107, as well as delivering a better return on our educational investments through increased fiscal decision-making. Responsibility – Building on our strong foundation to deliver an even better education for the children of D107 , as well as being more responsible with our spending. Transparency – Promoting greater visibility around decision-making and where we stand in comparison to other LT feeder schools.
What sets you apart from the other candidates?
As in business, what sets me apart is that I am very goal-oriented, I take the time to do research to be educated about an issue or topic, I often ask the difficult questions to get to the root of an issue so I can ultimately deliver success and I am a firm believer in measuring ourselves against our competitive set, in this case other LT feeder schools. These are the children that our Pleasantdale students will compete against at the next level and we need a greater awareness of where we stand, whether we are talking about curriculum, standardized test scores, sports programs, technology, etc. I want Pleasantdale to be the best of the LT feeder schools, measured not only by standardized test scores, but also by satisfaction levels of our teachers, parents, and students, as well as an increase in our property values.
How long have you lived in District 107?
My family and I have been D107 residents for 12+ years. We are very proud of our community and have volunteered much of our time to benefit the children of D107.
What do you believe is District 107’s biggest strength?
I feel that our biggest strength is the Pleasantdale community. We are very fortunate to have wonderful residents who fund our schools and keep them running well through their significant property taxes. We have strong families willing to spend time to ensure their children are excelling in school. We have amazing teachers who are dedicated to the children of D107 and go the extra mile every day. And we have beautiful facilities for our students to enjoy both in and around the schools, including the Pleasantdale Park District property that both schools use regularly. It is an amazing example of how a community works together.
What do you believe is District 107’s biggest weakness?
D107’s major weakness is a lack of a vision for the future of our district. I believe we need a clear focus in a board-led strategic plan (as our last was created in 2002); this plan will filter to the administration, teachers, curriculum and students. It will be the driving force for taking us from a good school district to a great one. A strategic planning process is cumbersome and would require D107 to take a hard look at their strengths and weaknesses in order to map clear, concise and measurable goals – it will be the roadmap for D107’s future success.
In terms of a school district, how would you describe a board that is fiscally responsible? Does District 107 currently have a fiscally responsible board?
I believe that a board that is fiscally responsible does the following:
maintains one year of expenses in reserve
reviews all major school expenditures and conducts a cost-benefit analysis on any new educational programs or expenses
requires that the district’s significant vendor contracts go out to bid to ensure D107 is getting the highest quality service/products at the fairest price
mandates grant applications where applicable to help offset taxpayer costs of major initiatives.
I do believe the current board has done a decent job of maintaining a budget surplus in D107. Though after attending over 2 years of D107 school board meetings, it appears that they are a bit loose with the purse strings and are not as concerned about keeping costs low or expenses in check, because of the surplus. My belief is that D107 could operate much more efficiently without impacting the education of our children. Some lapses in fiscal oversight worry me, such as: D107 incurring Early Retirement Option (ERO) costs of $132,000 for an employee who retired without meeting the eligibility requirements; D107 has spent $40,000 over 2 years on a consultant and were receiving the same information from a testing company; legal fees to manage the board have increased from $900 in 2010 to $11,000 in 2013, and an Elementary School roofing plan which was budgeted at approximately $380,000, with estimates coming in at over $890,0000. I also have not seen or heard of plans to tackle the unfunded pension liability of over $608,000 (check your most recent tax bill) or scenarios of how D107 will manage Illinois pension reform.
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Candidate DOUG GILMAN
Residence: Willow Springs
Website: d107focusforthefuture.com
Family: Kim, Spouse, 46; Julia, daughter, 12; Mitchell, son, 10
Education: Hobart College, BA
Occupation: Vice President, Aon
Applicable experience qualifying you for the position:
I have over 25 years of business experience; currently I am a vice president at Aon in Chicago where I have worked for the past 13 years. In my current role I am responsible for employees working on three continents. Prior to that, I have had a successful career as a corporate executive and a management consultant. I have worked in multiple functions and have acquired significant experience in Information Technology, Finance, Marketing and Strategy.
My experience has taught me that accountability and transparency are critical to the success of any organization. I believe strongly that these principals can and should be applied to the D107 School Board.
Why are you running for this office?
We need to make education a priority in our community and invest in our children. Thus far the district has done a good job improving test scores and maintaining fiscal health. The next board can do more; we need to implement a comprehensive curriculum that enables our children to be critical and creative thinkers. We need to increase the financial security of the district to survive state pension reform and position the district to not only adapt to common core standards, but to excel. Ultimately we need to restore a focus on the future.
What will be your single most important priority if you get elected?
Accountability: We need to establish a school district that is accountable to the residents of the district. It must operate in a highly transparent fashion and seek to engage our parents and taxpayers in a constructive manner. Financial decisions must yield good returns in terms of financial results or educational improvement. Education decisions must yield tangible improvements to our children’s ability to succeed in high school, college and the workplace.
What sets you apart from the other candidates?
Throughout the course of my business career, I have always been held accountable for both revenue and expenses. I expect that every investment should be justified and must achieve its expected return. I believe that the school district needs to be held to these same standards. In addition, as an employer I have seen how a good educational foundation can translate into success in the workplace and what skills are needed to be successful. Finally, I have experienced first-hand the competition that our children will face in the global economy.
How long have you lived in District 107?
9.5 years
What do you believe is District 107’s biggest strength?
The community. We are blessed to live in a close-knit community with great children, committed parents, terrific teachers and residents who value a great education and consistently support our schools in good times and bad.
What do you believe is District 107’s biggest weakness?
The board and the school administration have become disconnected from the community. Accountability and transparency have slowly diminished over the past several years. This has resulted in high operating costs, several curriculum false starts and a general sense that being average is ok.
In terms of a school district, how would you describe a board that is fiscally responsible? Does District 107 currently have a fiscally responsible board?
In my opinion, fiscally responsible includes; maintaining a surplus that is sufficient to support the district during lean years, doing everything possible to keep costs low without compromising its core mission, and making sure that every investment has a return, either in terms of a financial or educational return. Bottom line, it means that the board closely scrutinizes major investments and holds the administration accountable for expenditures and investments. It goes without saying that all financial decisions must be made in a fully transparent manner.
The current board has done a reasonable job of being fiscally responsible. They have maintained a good, though not optimal surplus. They have openly debated large investments and they have kept an eye on expenditures.
They have fallen short by not demanding accountability for all major expenditures, nor have they pushed the administration to lower operating expenses. They have agreed to large technology investments in recent years that have proved to be inadequate. They did not set an expectation that the technology would be integrated into the curriculum. They have also failed to consistently hold the administration accountable for financial errors. For example, we incurred a $132,000 pension expense due to an administrative error, and we have spent $40,000 on a statistical consultant even though we were already getting the same service for free from another provider.
Other concerns that have not been dealt with by the current board;
$600,000 unfunded pension liability (per Cook County tax bill)
No open discussion of how to handle Illinois’ plans to transfer pension responsibility to the individual districts
Runaway board legal fees … increase from $900 per year to over $11,000 in two years
One of the highest operational costs per student, amongst the LT feeder schools (per Illinois Interactive Report Card)
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Candidate GREG SENGPIEL
Residence: Burr Ridge
Website: www.d107focusforthefuture.com
Family: Tammi M. Sengpiel, wife; Ava W. Sengpiel, daughter, 12; Dylan G. Sengpiel, son, 9
Education: BSBA – Finance and MIS – University of Arizona – Tucson, AZ
Occupation: General Manager, Americas – Original Software, Inc. Westmont, IL “Commercial Software Sales; B2B Enterprise Software”
Applicable experience qualifying you for the position:
Business man, Leader, Parent, Tax Payer
Why are you running for this office?
As a parent of two children in the district, I am compelled to give back to my community of my time and experience. I am passionate about education and child welfare. I believe that our children are the future of our society and democracy. I want to give all of my life experience back to them without any expectations of remuneration.
I have over 25 years of expertise in information technology. I believe the future of education will advance rapidly through the effective use of technology. We can extend education beyond the classroom and make learning a part of every child’s daily life activities. We can use technology to make learning fun, challenging and rewarding. I plan to bring my knowledge and expertise to the board for leadership in IT decisions.
What will be your single most important priority if you get elected?
My single most priority as an elected board member is to honor the responsibility empowered to a board member. I shall be diligent in attendance and participation and I will bring a fair and balanced approach to board decisions.
My commitment to the board is to bring a competent and informed position on policy; and to represent the district tax payers while supporting the administration in executing their duties.
What sets you apart from the other candidates?
My belief is that I am a good listener and a compassionate leader. I am someone who values the input of others, but who is unafraid to make the tough decisions. Board participation is about compromise and encouragement. There will inevitable times when decisions are split and I must vote with my conscience for what I believe is the right thing to do.
How long have you lived in District 107?
My wife Tammi and I moved into Burr Ridge, D107 in 1995. We have been involved with the school district since 2006.
What do you believe is District 107’s biggest strength?
I believe the people in the community are the biggest strength of the district. There are many passionate families who care very much about their children’s education and hence; they are willing to volunteer their time to support the administration. The district has great resources and when they are sufficiently allocated the return on the resources should produce “passionate learners” and future leaders.
What do you believe is District 107’s biggest weakness?
I believe that all elected officials should have term limits and allow other members of the community to offer their contributions. The current board has largely been in place for several terms. I believe that a new board will leverage the good things from the previous board(s) and bring new ideas and energy for those issues which require new attention.
In terms of a school district, how would you describe a board that is fiscally responsible? Does District 107 currently have a fiscally responsible board?
I believe that transparency is essential for fiscal responsibility. The taxing and spending of public money is a great responsibility for government. I believe we need to fund education sufficiently to teach all learners in the district. The board must review federal and state guidelines for education and maximize the income opportunities and eliminate waste from the expenses.
I believe that we need to extract the greatest percentage of budget revenue and apply the expense toward direct educational investments. These investments include great teachers, safe facilities, positive learning environments and educational tools for teachers.
My opinion of the school district fiscal responsibility is continuing to develop; however, in my research, I have exposed questions on certain expenditures that do not seem reasonable and may not fit with my vision on fiscal transparency.
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Candidate KRISTIN VIOLANTE
Residence: Willow Springs
Website: www.d107focus4thefuture.com
Family: Vance, husband; Renna, daughter, 8 and Laine, daughter, 6
Education: Bachelor’s Degree from Indiana University
Occupation: Superintendent of Parks and Recreation at the Village of Willowbrook
Applicable experience qualifying you for the position:
I serve as the Board Secretary for both the Gateway Special Recreation Association and Kiwanis Club of Willowbrook and Burr Ridge. I have also served on the Parent Advisory Council for Standards Based Grading at Pleasantdale School. Finally, I have also volunteered on several PTA committees for the past couple of years.
Why are you running for this office?
The primary reason I am running for this office is I am passionate about my daughters’ education and would like to be part of determining the path their educational futures take. The potential for pension reform and the adoption of the common core curriculum are big issues that will face the Pleasantdale 107 School Board. I feel I can make a difference in helping the district set goals, policies and procedures to address these and other issues. We need school board members who are going to ask the tough questions when they need to be asked and vote on what is best for the kids as well as the community.
What will be your single most important priority if you get elected?
My single most important priority if elected to the Board is to be transparent, accountable and responsible to the tax payers in the Pleasantdale community, as well as the students, parents, teachers and administrators. Overall, I feel the current Board has lost focus of what their responsibilities are due to the lack of respect and distrust amongst themselves. We need to have a Board that is respectful of each other and willing to work together to provide the best education for our children possible.
What sets you apart from the other candidates?
What sets me apart from the other candidates is that I have worked solely for government agencies since graduating from college and understand the importance of spending tax dollars efficiently and effectively. I feel there are some current Board Members who have a Fortune 500 mentality and assume government agencies should spend and budget the way Fortune 500 companies do. Although there are some similarities between government and non-government entities, there are differences as well. I feel those who work in the private sector can learn from me as I can learn from them.
How long have you lived in District 107?
My husband and I have lived in the community for seven years. My husband is a proud graduate of Pleasantdale Elementary and Middle Schools as well Lyons Township High School.
What do you believe is District 107’s biggest strength?
I believe Pleasantdale’s biggest strength is the teaching and resource staff they have educating or counseling our kids. Not only are they committed to teaching or counseling our children, but they are helping instill social and emotional values that will last our children a lifetime. The teachers, social workers, and other resource teachers are passionate, involved and take an interest in each and every one of their students.
What do you believe is District 107’s biggest weakness?
I believe District 107’s biggest weakness is there is no “Focus for the Future”. The district’s strategic plan is over ten years old. Currently, there is no comprehensive plan to enhance the educational future for our kids as well as no specific plan to address future financial issues. We need to set goals that are not only specific, but also measurable. We need a strong plan to lead us into the future.
In terms of a school district, how would you describe a board that is fiscally responsible? Does District 107 currently have a fiscally responsible board?
I believe a school district should have at least one year’s worth of expenses in reserves. The current and past School Boards at Pleasantdale have done a good job of establishing these reserves. I am concerned these funds may decrease as the district faces large expenses such as current and future pension liabilities and/or emergency school repairs. This is why a comprehensive plan is needed, so the district can be prepared for these types of expenses. While I commend the present board for maintaining these reserves, I feel they have been irresponsible in not explaining to the tax payers the rationale behind maintaining these reserves or laying out a solid plan for utilizing this money.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
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